Inside Fig ’n’ Fox – Surfers Paradise’s new two-level British pub and basement bar
There’s a certain kind of comfort that only a proper pub can offer. Dark timber, worn leather booths, a pint with a thick creamy head and the low hum of conversation rolling beneath the clink of glasses. Surfers Paradise has plenty of bars, but until now, it hasn’t really had that. Enter Fig ‘n’ Fox – a sprawling new British pub from Artesian Hospitality that has transformed the former BOBs Beer site on the corner of Orchid and Elkhorn avenues into something that feels worlds away from the neon streets outside.
Originally announced earlier this year, Fig ‘n’ Fox has now officially opened its doors, revealing a two-level space that shifts effortlessly between classic English pub energy upstairs and a grungier late-night alter ego downstairs. At street level, Fig ’n’ Fox leans fully into the brief. Rich timber panelling, warm lighting, comfy booths and a sprawling feature bar create the sort of atmosphere where a quick pint somehow becomes dinner, dessert and one more round. Guinness flows steadily from the taps, sport flickers quietly across screens and plates of fish and chips weave through the room beneath the warm buzz of conversation.
Food plays a central role in the identity of the venue, with the menu shaped by Artesian Hospitality’s group executive chef Richard Harris, formerly of the Rockpool Group. A UK native, Richard has anchored the offering in classic British pub fare done properly – think bangers and mash, beef-and-Guinness pies, paper-wrapped fish and chips, gooey Scotch eggs and Yorkshire puddings, alongside steaks, schnitzels and the occasional Aussie pub staple. Then there’s the Sunday roast, confidently described by the venue as “the best Sunday Roast the Gold Coast has ever seen”. Big call? Absolutely. But honestly, after seeing the Yorkshire puddings rolling through the dining room, it’s entirely possible.
“English pubs live and die by their food,” Richard says. And Fig ’n’ Fox clearly understands the assignment.
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But it’s downstairs where the venue really starts to loosen its tie. Hidden beneath the pub is Timmy’s Tea Room – a grungy basement bar trading polished pub charm for sticky-floor dive-bar energy in the best possible way. On the walk downstairs, a gallery wall of British icons sets the tone – Amy Winehouse, Adele, Gordon Ramsay, Tommy Shelby and even the late Diana, Princess of Wales presiding over the descent into chaos.
Below, the lighting drops, the music gets louder and the mood shifts completely. Pool tables, live bands, electronic darts and late-night energy pull the space into a completely different rhythm from upstairs. It feels a little rough around the edges, but that’s by design – somewhere built for long nights, loud karaoke singalongs and stories that probably should’ve ended two drinks earlier.
Together, the two levels give Fig ’n’ Fox a versatility Surfers Paradise has arguably been missing. Upstairs works for after-work pints, Sunday roasts and casual dinners, while downstairs slides comfortably into live music and late-night sessions.
Artesian Hospitality has built a reputation for creating large-scale venues with personality, and this may be one of its most immersive yet. What could have easily become another themed pub instead feels atmospheric, playful and genuinely transportive – a venue built around the rituals that make pubs endure in the first place. A Guinness with mates. A roast on Sunday. Music downstairs. Staying longer than you meant to and having maybe one pint too many.
Head to The Directory for opening times.
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